The Search is Over
by criminally charmed
Summary: Sweet oneshot songfic featuring Alan and TinTin. A moment between the teenage sweethearts. Reprecussions for future stories.


**The Search is Over**

**Disclaimer – OK, this is my 10****th**** Thunderbird Story. I think my intentions are clear. My Alan is nicer and more mature, the boys are getting hooked up and starting families of their own, Lady P is mentioned but not really seen and I am not seeking any kind of ownership.**

Tin-Tin Kyrano had always loved to watch the sun rise over Tracy Island. It had always been part of her morning ritual. Some people had a church to pray at, to talk to God, to give thanks. Tin-Tin had a small rise overlooking the main beach of Tracy Island. These days she felt very grateful for her blessings. Tin-Tin had loving parents, a nice home, had been accepted to MIT for college in the fall and her boyfriend, Alan Tracy, had survived a bout of MRSA a virulent infection that only had a 30 survival rate. As a result, Alan's father, billionaire Jeff Tracy, had brought his youngest son home just before Thanksgiving after a harrowing two weeks in a Boston hospital. Simply put, Alan's lungs had been compromised by his illness and the doctors, including Alan's sister-in-law, Emily, had felt his best and fastest chance at recovery would be on the tropical island versus the freezing New England winter he would experience at his boarding school. Wharton's Academy had bent over backwards in order to accommodate a satellite program for Alan until he could return to the school. After having faced the wrath of Kate Tracy, Scott's wife, they were probably appropriately cowed. Kate had that effect on people.

"Hey Pretty Lady, what ya up to?"

Turning at the sudden voice, Tin-Tin's face lit up. Alan was sitting on a lounger by the upper pool, looking out over the island's vista. The fingers of dawn were just beginning to emerge. Concerned, Tin-Tin moved over to her boyfriend, sitting down next to him and placing a gentle hand on his face. "Are you feeling alright? Do you need me to get Emily?"

Alan smiled at his girlfriend. "Tin, I'm fine. I have been home almost a month now. And people are forever trying to get me to sleep. I'm all slept out. I got up on purpose. I wanted to go with you to watch the sunrise this morning."

Frowning, Tin-Tin shook her head. "Alan, you aren't supposed to be wandering all over the island. You need to take it easy."

Sighing, Alan turned his blue eyes to the girl. "Hon, I am taking it easy. Dad has me doing most of my school work in his office so he can keep an eye on me. He won't even let me run Command and Control, forget any mission work. And don't think I don't notice you or your Mom is even picking up my room. Frankly, I think you guys have taken coddling to a whole new level."

Bending her head, Tin-Tin tried to hide a smile. Alan was right to a degree. All the island residents had been babying him. But it had been so close and they had nearly lost Alan to his illness. The seventeen-year-old had been so sick that not only had Jeff Tracy brought his son John down from his main post on their space station Thunderbird Five, but for only the second time since the inception of International Rescue – the first being after the Hood had attacked, leaving much of the Thunderbirds' base and equipment damaged – the Thunderbirds had been shut down.

But International Rescue was back in business. The day after Thanksgiving, John had returned to Five and Jeff had sent out a press release that the Thunderbirds were back. The Thunderbirds' Commander had taken to staying close to base, rarely going out on missions himself. Jeff claimed it was because with Scott's wife Kate now returned to full field status after the birth of her son Jason back during Spring Break and with Virgil's fiancée Sarah, a former firefighter, being actively trained as a Thunderbird, he simply wasn't needed in the field. The truth was he seemed almost afraid to let Alan out of his sight. Jeff Tracy really could play the mother hen. Well, she mused, Scott had to come by it somehow.

"So, are we going or not?" Alan asked with his trademark cheeky grin.

"You can take the golf cart, daughter."

The two teens jumped at the sound of Kyrano's voice. Smiling at them, he nodded to the cart he used to run supplies around the island. "This way Mr. Alan will not overtire himself and he can go with you, as he doubtless will anyways. Just be back before breakfast. There is no need to buy trouble, now is there?"

Kyrano watched as the boy he loved like a son walked towards the cart, holding the hand of the girl who held the father's heart in her hands. He could only hope that the boy would prove to be as honorable and as trust worthy as his father, and give his child the love and commitment he saw the lad's brothers give their soul mates.

Alan watched as Tin-Tin got behind the wheel of the golf cart, preparing to take them up to the bluff where she often sat, treasuring the peace and solitude of the island. He hoped that living in Boston didn't rob her of the peace and serenity that so embodied Tin-Tin for him.

_How can I convince you _

_what you see is real _

_Who am I to blame you _

_for doubting what you feel _

_I was always reachin', _

_you were just a girl I knew _

_I took for granted the friend I have in you _

Tin-Tin tried to keep her eyes on the path leading to the bluff. She kept stealing glances over at her boyfriend. Alan was leaning back in the seat, eyes closed and a mischievous smile playing on his lips. What was he up to now?

Alan smiled as he thought of the bundle he had secreted in the cart when Tin-Tin wasn't watching. He had kept the small basket under the pool lounger while he waited for her to come by. It was as certain that Tin-Tin would walk by the spot where he had laid in wait as it was that the sun would rise in the east. Her dependability and faithfulness were two of the things he loved most about her. She had been one of his best friends for years and they had moved slowly but gracefully into being in love. In some ways, it reminded him of Sarah and Virgil's relationship. Sarah had been in their lives since she was six, only to be pulled out of it suddenly almost a decade later by the fire that killed the rest of her family and badly injured Sarah. They would not see the young woman again until a hotel fire in Boston that had nearly claimed Alan's own life. Sarah had been the heroic firefighter who had saved Alan from the flames that would have otherwise consumed him. The near tragedy had reunited Virgil and Sarah, and the gentle love the woman had always held for his middle brother was soon returned. Though there had been a few bumps – a lunatic trying to kill Sarah, Sarah becoming furious when she found out Virgil had hidden that he was a member of International Rescue – in the end the love she had for the whole family had helped to heal any wounds. Ironically, it was Alan's own brush with death had expedited the reunion and had made other issues seem almost irrelevant.

So now Virgil was back with Sarah and the two were getting married. But Alan's own near-death experience had made him refocus on what was most important for his own happiness. Going to Harvard and setting track records may be well and good, but Alan could not picture a future that did not include Tin-Tin in it.

_I was living for a dream, _

_loving for a moment _

_Taking on the world, _

_that was just my style _

_Now I look into your eyes, _

_I can see forever _

_The search is over, _

_you were with me all the while _

The sun was beginning to break over the horizon as the couple reached the bluff. Alan pulled out the small basket and walked around to the driver's side. Holding out a hand, he bent low, putting on his best Parker accent, "M'Lady. At your service as always, M'Lady." Tin-Tin's soft laughter brought a smile to the teenager's handsome face. The girl cocked her head as she let him help her out of the cart. He really was a very good-looking young man, he was rich and had the world set out in front of him. Sometimes she wondered if he was with her because of a lack of options or if he really loved her as much as she loved him.

Alan hooked his arm through Tin-Tin's, leading her over to a tree and setting her down before joining her on the ground. Placing the basket in front of them, Alan opened it with a flourish. Pulling out a thermos, followed by two small mugs, the girl laughed as Alan began to pour them each a cup of hot chocolate. Clinking the mugs together Alan toasted "To the future" before taking a sip.

Setting down his mug, Alan reached out and did the same with Tin-Tin's mug. Then, with a gentleness than most men many years his senior could not manage, he placed his hands on either side of his girlfriend's face. Using his thumbs, he gently caressed her high, fine cheekbones. "I mean it Tin. I can't picture a future that doesn't include you in it. You have stood by my side even when I didn't deserve it. You have been my dearest friend, and you will always be my love. If I have never said thank you for how much you have been for me, for all you have done for me, I want to do that now. I love you Tin-Tin Kyrano. I always have and I always will."

_Can we last forever, _

_will we fall apart _

_At times it's so confusing, _

_the questions of the heart _

_You followed me through changes, _

_and patiently you'd wait _

_Till I came to my senses, _

_through some miracle of fate _

Tin-Tin smiled through tears, placing her own hands on Alan, one tracing the refined featured while the other ran fingers through his golden blond hair. Once more she was amazed at how different most of the Tracys were from each other. Scott and Virgil both had the look of their father, though Scott had more of the rugged look compared to gentler look of his younger brother. John and Alan looked much alike, with their bright blue eyes and runner's build, though Alan had slightly darker blond hair than the second oldest Tracy son, with his platinum locks. They were both similar in looks to their late mother. Gordon was the cuckoo of the group, apparently looking like his Grandmother Tracy's family with red hair, green eyes and a stocky build. But their courage, determination and strength of will were very similar. And John had once said that the saying that had gone around their Kansas hometown had been "Take on one Tracy, you take on them all." While they might fight among themselves, nobody messed with a Tracy without the whole family coming out together as a united force.

"I love you too, Alan. But you didn't have to bring me all the way here just to tell me you love me. I think Kate managed to put the fear of God into your brothers long ago. They don't use the security cameras to spy on us anymore, honest."

Alan brushed back a strand of Tin-Tin's long black hair. Her dark eyes shone with delight, reflecting everything that was in her heart.

Tin-Tin grasped Alan's hand, placing a gentle kiss on his palm. His blue eyes sparkled with happiness, showing beyond words how much she meant to him.

Reaching into the basket, he pulled out a small jewelry box. "This," Alan said, "was my Grandma Tracy's. And now I think it should be yours." Tin-Tin opened the box, showing a small, delicate diamond ring. "My Grandpa Tracy wasn't a rich man. But he scraped together the money when he left the army to pay for this ring so he could claim the only woman he had ever or would ever love. He was twelve and Grandma was ten when he knew that she was the girl he would some day marry. Dad doesn't even know I have this already. Grandma gave this to me before I left Kansas and told me that the day would come when I wanted to look a girl in the eyes, tell her that she completes me, that I can not face a future that would not include her. That I was to take her hand," he continued, holding her hand close to his heart, "and tell that I love her with all my heart and say, Tin-Tin, will you marry me?"

_Now the miles stretch out behind me, _

_loves that I have lost _

_Broken hearts lie victims of the game _

_Then good luck, _

_it finally stuck like lightning from the blue _

_Every highway's leading me back to you _

_Now at last I hold you, _

_now all is said and done _

_The search has come full circle, _

_our destinies are one _

_So if you ever loved me, _

_show me that you give a damn _

_You'll know for certain the man I really am _

Tin-Tin's eyes filled with tears. "But Alan, your father…"

"My father isn't asking you Tin-Tin, I am."

"My parents…"

"Your parents know I love you and as nervous as they would be about us getting married so young, they are far more nervous about the two of us going away to college together, thousands of miles away, with no one to run interference."

"But college…"

"I've talked to Sarah, who suspects what I wanted to know and she made it clear her condo would be available and it is centrally located. Even if I don't drive us, the subway is close by and we can get to Harvard and MIT as easily as if we lived on campus."

"Children…"

"Neither of us is ready, I know. Emily has made it clear that when we are ready to, well when we need to know birth control options, she will go over them with us. And in all fairness, wouldn't you rather be married then to tell our families we had to get married? I would like us to wait for until we have our degrees or darn close to it. But if it happens sooner, we will figure something out together. I love you Tin-Tin and I want to marry you this summer. So? You said you would say yes, if I gave you a proper proposal. Maybe it's not champagne and roses but it is hot chocolate and a tropical sunrise."

"Are you sure?"

"Tin-Tin, I nearly died. A lot is blurry, but I think I may have seen my Mother and in my opinion you have to be pretty close to death to see someone who died fourteen years earlier. I know what is important. And having you in my life, standing by my side, loving me…Well, that is what is important to me. I will love you forever, I swear. If you want to have a four year engagement, because it is what you want, fine. I will spend the next four years as your fiancé. But if you are saying you won't marry me before we go off to college because of what our family might say, that is wrong. They love us, and while it may take some doing, we have until summer to sway them. But I would love nothing more than to stand on the beach of this island, as the sun begins to set, watching the colors dance across the waves and the wind blowing in your hair. I would like to have our family and friends there, our parents watching with a combination of pride and concern, my brothers making quiet jokes and three of them getting smacked by their wives. Fermat would be standing near, torn between being happy for us and worried that this will spoil the friendship the three of us have always had. Lady P could be there, dressed in pink, of course, smiling and saying she had always known this day would come. And Parker would be blubbering like a baby."

Tin-Tin laughed at the image Alan had created in her mind. It was perfect. And yes, it was just what she wanted. Holding out her hand, Alan gently slipped the engagement ring onto her hand. It fit perfectly. He knew it would, as he had gotten Kate to get it sized for him. He wondered how his brothers would feel at the knowledge that if even if their wives hadn't been told outright, they were all sure that Alan was going to propose to Tin-Tin soon. Though he doubted any of them suspected it would be THIS soon.

Leaning over, the couple gently kissed as the sun began to climb ever high in the sky. Standing up, Alan held out his hand to help Tin-Tin up. "Come on, we may be forgiven for many things, but your mother will never forgive us if we are late to a meal."

A quick giggle was smothered by a last passionate kiss. Gently tracing her fiancé's, Tin-Tin stepped back and took Alan by the hand. "Let's go home."

"When should we tell them?"

"Sometime after breakfast and before the honeymoon."

Laughter filled the clearing as the couple departed. It might take some doing, but they both knew… They had just taken their first steps into the future they would share.

_I was living for a dream, _

_loving for a moment _

_Taking on the world, _

_that was just my style _

_When I touched your hand, _

_I could hear you whisper _

_The search is over, _

_love was right before my eyes_

_**a/n – so Alan and Tin-Tin are getting married. But some things to get out of the way. I have a brief one-shot in which some character will be brought back and Jeff will find out about Alan and Tin-Tin. It will be a Christmas story by the way. The next looonnngggg one shot will be Virgil and Sarah's wedding. Then a shorter multi-chapter will take care of things for Alan. Gordon's story will be last, and will actually be set several years in the future. That will end my series. But not any time soon.**_


End file.
